1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural tillage implements, and, more particularly, to a down pressure control system for such implements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of tillage implements to prepare soil for planting. Tillage implements prepare the soil by way of mechanical agitation of numerous types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of tillage include plowing (overturning with moldboards or chiseling with chisel shanks), disking, harrowing, sweeping, and cultivating with cultivator shanks.
Tillage is often classified into two types, vertical and horizontal. Generally, vertical tillage is performed with implements such as colters or spider wheels. Horizontal tillage, on the other hand, is performed with implements such as sweeps. The employment of vertical or horizontal tillage depends upon various aspects of a given situation including soil conditions, equipment, crops to be planted, etc.
Some tillage implements may include two or more sections coupled together to perform multiple functions as they are pulled through fields by a tractor. For example, a field cultivator is capable of simultaneously tilling soil and leveling the tilled soil in preparation for planting. A field cultivator has a frame that carries a number of ground-engaging tilling implements for tilling the soil. The field cultivator converts compacted soil into a level seedbed with a consistent depth for providing excellent conditions for planting of a crop. Residual crop material, weeds, or other undesired plants disposed on top of the soil are destroyed and worked into the soil.
At times an optional rear auxiliary implement may be included to perform secondary tasks such as finishing the seedbed in preparation for seeding. For example, a rear auxiliary implement may include a spike tooth harrow, spring tooth harrow, rolling (aka. crumbler) basket, etc., or any combination thereof. The crumbler basket has a reel with multiple blades for breaking up dirt and sod clods into smaller sizes, chopping up the remaining debris on the top of the soil, smoothing out ridges, and slightly packing the field.
The downward pressure on the crumbler baskets, which controls the depth of the reel, is generally maintained by springs. The down force acting on the crumbler baskets is not typically consistent or controllable. At varying speeds, the down force is inconsistent because the varying draft on the crumbler baskets causes the springs to stretch or compress. Further, adjusting the down force applied by the crumbler baskets can be cumbersome as the operator typically has to manually adjust the positioning of the crumbler baskets by changing the positions of pins, bolts, mechanical crank adjustments, or a combination thereof.
What is needed in the art is an easy to use mechanism for sensing down force fluctuation and for positioning rolling baskets of an agricultural tillage implement.